Door guide and holder



Oct, 1-8, 1949. R, L. LOCKE 2,4 5,393

DOOR GUIDE AND HOLDER Filed April 10, 1948 lw lilll \EHHHHHH I RAYMONDL. LO cm:

INVENTOR. v

Patented Oct. 18, 1949 TUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEI DOOR GUIDE ANDHOLDER Raymond L. Locke, Macon, Ill. Application April 10, 1948, SerialNo. 20,239 I 3 Claims.

This invention relates to door guides and holders, and, withoutlimitation thereto, has more particularly to do with one of the kindthat, in use, is placed on the floor at the middle of the door openingof a building such as a barn, hangar or the like so as to guidinglyreceive and hold the meeting lower corner portions of a pair ofhorizontally sliding, top-hung doors from lateral movement when thedoors are closed. That is to say, while the device of the presentinvention is primarily intended for the above noted particular use, itis adaptable for use with other kinds of doors. For example, it may beused to receive and hold the bottom edge portion of a verticallyslidable door in its closed position.

The principal object is to produce a characteristic article of its kind,the protuberance of which, when installed upon the floor, will not causedamage to tires rolling thereover, particularly as when moving aninherently heavy vehicle or a loaded one into or out of the building.

Another and special object is to produce a device of its kind which canbe securely fastened in place, particularly on a concrete floor, withoutthe use of bolts, screws, nails or like separate and extraneous fastenerelements.

Other objects and advantages to be attained will hereinafter more fullyappear in the following description.

Generally stated, the invention consists in making the devicesubstantially shell-like and concave-convex in body form, with roundedouter surface contour and smooth crowned effect vice embeddedly in aconcrete floor, door-sill or the like.

A practical adaptation of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the device and showing therewithfragmentary lower meeting corner portions of double doors in closedposition;

Figure 2 is a view taken at right angles to that of Fi ure 1;

Figure 3 is a section of the device taken on or about the line 3-3 ofFigure 1, but with the doors removed and the device shown as embedded ina portion of a concrete floor;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the device alone; and

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the device showing the arrangement ofthe reinforcing web or rib and the fastener lugs or ears.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral I0 designates thedevice of the invention in its entirety. As shown, this device isshell-like and of minimum thickness throughout. In practice the same maybe made of metal of ample strength and, obviously, either by a castingprocess, such as for example, ordinary molding or a die-castingprocedure, or else by any approved die-stamping and forming method.

Medially of the device it is provided with an open-ended channel II ofrectangular cross-section, that is to say, one having a flat bottom I2and perpendicular or right-angled side walls I3. This channel I I is toguidingly receive the meeting lower corner portions of a pair of slidingdoors I4 when the doors are in closed position as indicated in Figure 1.For this purpose, of course, the channel II will be made to runtransversely of the door opening of the building.

It is here noted that while the device is shown as used to receive themeeting lower corner portions of a pair of top-hung, horizontallyslidable doors I4, it is to be understood that it may, for example, beused to receive in its channel II the bottom edge portion of avertically slidable door of the overhead-mounted type.

In any case, the channeled portion II of the device receives the edgeportion of a door slidably therein but holds the adjacent portion of thedoor as thus engaged from lateral movement.

- At each side of the channel I I, the lateral body shell portion I5 ofconcavo-convex or inverted cupped form, being highest in the middleregion of the device and inclining downwardly towards the opposite endsof the channel II and also inclining downwardly laterally from thechannel, said body shell portions I5 being of round contour throughouttheir entire exposed top surfaces and giving a general crowned effect tothe device in its protuberance above the normal floor surface. This isan essential and advantageous feature of the present invention in thatall abrupt and sharp corners which might cut or cause injury to avehicle tire riding over the device are eliminated and avoided. Thisrounded contour ed contour and channeling thereof, further consists in anovel provision for reinforcement of the body shell and means forfastening the device to a floor, door-sill or the like, now to bedescribed in detail.

As shown, the hollow shell-like body In is provided on its undersidewith a web or rib l6 which crosses under the channel H and terminatesadjacent the outer marginsof the lateral body shell portions! 5;"Obviouslythis webbing or ribbing l6 materially stiflens and strengthensthe body shell l whose thickness may, therefore, beappreciablyminimized.

For fastening the body shell ID to a floor, sill or other place withoutusing bolts, screws,=nai1s or the like, especially to oneeof concrete;as is the kind more generally in vogue in the present day practice, thebody shell I0 is provided with lugs, ears or tongue-like'fastenerextensions ll in any desired number and respective locations thereon. As:shown invtheodrawings, there are two of [these-extensions I; provideddiametrically oppcsite eaclzt other, one at the outer margin ofeachnlateral-body; shellv portion l and in line wit-tr the. transversebottom; webbing or ribbing l6, said extensions not-:onlyafiording ameans of fasteningithedevice-in .place, as-will be presently described;but. also'augmenting the stiffening and reinforcing effect of saidwebbing or ribbing 16.

With, 'thSaIOllIld) crowned form of the body shell l'llandits-underwebbingor ribbing It and fastener extensionsll thedevice isembedded upon and in a-concrete floor or other place of use by forcingit down-wardupon the body of concrete while the same isstill wet andsoft; the body shell Hl itself resting on the-areasof concretethereunder and its webbing or ribbing [Brand fastener extensions I!taking:;well :into the bodyof the concrete and serving totie'the-devicein place after the.concrete hasset andhardened'. It is thusapparent that not only does thebody shell Ill-rest throughoutits'ow-nmajor extent-on the concrete but its fastening in placezis well:assured by the engagement of the web 'or --rib tend the fastenerextensions" which are inserted deeply in the concrete so as -tohold'thedevicefrom lifting as well as lateral movement.

From the foregoing disclosure and" description it 'is apparent that-fapractical and efficient door guide and' holder is produced; which can bemanufacturedeconomically and soldat a reasonable price, is easilyinstalledand secured in place withoutusing bolts, screws, nails or otherheretofore necessarygseparateand extraneous fastener elements;particularly-where theflooring or means of support for :thedevice is ofconcrete or a setting and hardening,..plastic or'cementitious material.

In. any-case, regardlessof how'the device is fastened" in :place, orwhether it is reinforced as herein-before described; or not, the makingof the body shell with the-crowned or inverted cupped and: generallyrounded form and surface contour throughout its exposed protuberanceisof particular'advantage in giving ample strength to the device withminimum wall thickness therein, as well as avoiding the possibility of'a vehicle tire becoming damaged in riding over the device.

Whilethe structure illustrated in the accom panying drawings is'that ofa practical embodiment of the invention the same is not in limitationthereof, as modifications and changes are possible within'the spirit andscopeof theinvention as delined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.: A=door guide-and holder of general inverted cupped shell-like bodyform with rounded surface contour throughout the extent of itsprotuberance above the normal surface of a floor or supporting base onwhich the article is mounted, said guide and holder having a transversechannel depressed therein to receive slidably the lower edge portion ofa door and for holding the adjacent portion of the door as so receivedfrom lateral movement; and an integral reinforcing web or rib andfastener extensions'on'the'underside of said guide and holder both thereinforcing web or rib and fastening extensions adapted to secure thearticle in'place on the floor or supporting base.

2. A door guide and holder of the character described the same being ofgeneral inverted cupped shell-like form and minimum thickness throughoutthe extent thereof, the body of the article having a transverse medialchannel formation which is open-ended and has a fiat bottom and straightvertical sidewalls, the body 'ofthe article laterally (at opposite sidesof. the: channel formal-1 tion: being of rcundedsurfacecontourzthroughout the extentthereof-so as to givea-generalcrownedeffect -to:the articlewhich is highestat its approximate center andtthe.rounded, surface inclined in every directionv from center towards theends of the channel formation and towards themargins of the articlelaterally from. the chant. nel formation, the bodyof-the article havinga reinforcing web or. rib .on its underside'extending from diametricallyopposite marginal ,points and cross-wiseof the channelformation, andintegral fastener extensionsv projecting downwardly-and marginally from:the body of the: article 3. A door guide andholder. of the characterdescribed the same beingof generalinverted cupped shell-like form andminimum thicknessthroughout the extent thereof, the. bodyf the articlehaving a a. I transverse. medial channel. formation which is open=ended.andwhas a diet .bottom'land straight vertical side-walls, the .bodyv.of the article laterally at opposite-sides of the channel formationbeingof rounded surface contour throughout the extent thereof soastogive a general crowned effect to the article which is highest atitsapproxia mate center and theroundedsurface inclined-in every direction.from center towards theendsof. the channel formation andtowardsthemargins of the article laterally from the channel formation,the bodyof. the article .havingareinforcing. web or ribflon itsundersideextendinglfromwdia-l metrically opposite marginalpoints andcrosswise of the channel formation,.said web or rib act-v ing. as.fasteningextensions, and other integral. fastener extensions.projecting, downwardly and. marginally. from the body, of the article.

RAYMIOND L. LOCKEL REFERENCES CITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Howard June-27,' 1944 OTHER REFERENCESNumber (Copy available inDiv. 20,).

